By Barry Rollings

It was Navy’s day at Manuka Oval on April 11 when the “senior service” went home with both the men’s and women’s Australian Services Australian Football Association Championships.

It’s the first time Navy has claimed the “double” of both the men’s and women’s title.
In Canberra’s balmy autumn sunshine, Navy women gave early cause for celebration by winning the CDRE Geoff Ledger Cup 3.3 (21) to 2.2 (14) against the more fancied Army.

Navy men completed a memorable day with a meritorious 13.11 (89) to 8.15 (63) win against Army to retain the Jim Smail Trophy.

After a nip and tuck affair in a hard, physical game, which left the victors with no interchange bench in the closing stages of the final quarter, a more organised and determined Navy made the men’s game its own in the final term.

A goal within seconds of the siren to start the last term and another from a 50m penalty fired-up Navy. Four more goals resulted, three of them in the final five minutes as Navy powered home.

Army had tested Navy in the opening minutes and Navy also contested well, though both were slightly errant as Navy led 4.6 (30) to 2.5 (17) at the first change.
In the second quarter Army was forced to defend as Navy found some focal points in attack and produced some solid defence when challenged. Moving the ball well and showing more cohesion, Navy enjoyed a two-goal half-time advantage, 6.7 (43) to 4.7 (31).

Army lifted in the third quarter to close the deficit to five points at last change, trailing 6.12 (48) to 7.11 (53).

Navy coach PO Michael Oleksyn said he would be back to try to make it a hat-trick next years, as did his captain PO Phil Norton.

“I would like to personally thank the whole support staff, playing legends, senior officers and sponsors at RANFA, and those who did not make the cut for the final team, for the way they got behind us,” PO Oleksyn said.

“As it progressed up and down, it could have gone either way in the final five minutes when we had only a three-point buffer.

“The first goal was the catalyst and started the flow, with the centreline providing the engine room.”

The coach of the Navy women’s team, CPO Rohan Jennings pulled out all the stops to prepare his team, employing the services of a psychologist and instilling a theme among his players to “live the dream”.

“When the girls began to get tired at about the 10-minute mark of each quarter, I’d send the runners out to say ‘live the dream’,” he said.

“Personally, I’ve been involved in five grand finals as a player or a coach and I’ve never walked off a ground prouder of a team, male or female.”

 

 

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